The Unsolvable Mystery
by TheSponsor
Summary: At fifteen, he is already living the lonely life of L.  However, it's made that much more homely when shared with a friend, no matter how annoying and nosy she is.
1. Rebellion

**I was having one of "those" days when I wondered if L ever had awkward, teenage moments. (I then suddenly imagined him in a suit. Froth.) I quickly concluded that no, he probably didn't. So, I'll just have to give him some!**

**L: That's not necessary.**

**Me: Oh, come on. It'll be fun! Besides, you only had a minor part in Third.**

**L: Very well.**

**Me: Yay!**

**I've noticed that Third is still my most successful story. It's definitely my favourite, but I personally think there are more rabid otakus in this category. That may be why—generally speaking—I get more reviews from Death Note stories.**

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><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Rebellion

L's weary eyes could hardly focus on the screen anymore. He had been staring at that one image on his computer for at least two hours now. It hadn't changed, and it wouldn't no matter how long he kept his heavy eyes fixated on it.

Pieces of the body lay scattered in an ocean of blood. L only know that it was female because the person had been identified. From that particular photo alone, no one would have been able to tell for sure.

It wasn't like this was the first dead body L had ever seen—quite the contrary. L had seen much death in his short life.

The girl was only sixteen. L would be sixteen soon. He knew very well that he could meet the same fate. He couldn't save people; all he could do was punish.

"Chief, we have reports of a woman screaming..." L almost smirked, but he didn't. He didn't even need to listen to what the voice coming from the police radio was saying. The voice alone was all he needed.

"The number, Watari?"

Watari keyed in the chief of police's phone number himself and handed the phone to L. It was an untraceable phone with a voice changer. L pressed the call button and waited patiently for the man on the other end to pick up.

"And cross-reference this location with that of the others," he quickly added. Watari nodded.

"Hello?"

"This is L."

There was silence on the line for a moment. L allowed it to stay that way as he inspected the list Watari had swiftly and skilfully prepared.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"I promise you that I am not lying to you," L assured, typing a few commands into his computer. "The reports you just received of a woman screaming on Parkway is a murder scene. That woman is already dead."

"What?"

"The murderer is one of three men. I see a ninety-six percent chance of it being Damian Clarke at two-one-three, Goldman Road. He's in unit three. I suggest you try to beat him there or at least make an appearance before he manages to clean his weapons."

L shovelled a mouthful of cake onto his fork and ate it without looking away from the screen.

"How do you know this?"

"I told you. I am L."

"Don't give me that crap! If you-"

"You can either shout at me and get nowhere, or you can do as I have suggested and have a shot at catching a killer. What do you intend to do?"

There was another pause. "Alright."

"I'll call back in twenty minutes to see how it went." L hung up and handed the phone back to Watari. It looked like three weeks of work and sleep deprivation were finally coming to a close.

"You look like you could use a rest," Watari observed.

"I won't be able to sleep until I have peace of mind about this. I'll wait until they have either proof or a confession."

"There's no need for that," Watari chuckled, collecting L's dirty dish and heading for the kitchenette. "It's late. You should go to bed."

"When they apprehend him," L compromised.

"After the phone call," Watari concluded with his tone that signified it was no longer up for discussion. "Regardless of what has happened, you are to go to bed after calling the chief of police."

"Yes, Watari," L relented.

Watari remained in the doorway, staring at the back of L's scruffy head. How that boy had grown! Then again, he was still a child, and so much was expected of him.

L continued to stare at the screen. He didn't know what he was looking for anymore. He had already found all he could. All that was left to do was wait.

The door creaked open, and L shot his attention to Watari putting on his coat and hat.

"I'll drop by the station to confirm some things," he said. "You'll be alright by yourself, won't you?"

"Of course," L responded seriously. He could take care of himself.

Watari left the teenager, and the room fell silent again.

They had been there in that apartment for a little over a month now. It still didn't feel very homely, though. L knew that as soon as it did, they would move again. He didn't mind. He was used to it.

Although, the next move would be different. After five years, he would be returning to Japan. He had become rather fond of the darkened skies of Winchester. He wasn't really one who enjoyed a day out in the hot sun, so the weather suited him just fine.

He'd also miss the people if he knew any. Besides the children at Wammy's House, L hadn't really spoken to anyone. He never really left the apartment.

L stood and shuffled over to the window. He looked down from the third-story window on the narrow street. It occurred to him that he had seen it a million times, but had never once walked along that road. The boy was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to go outside right then just to satisfy this childish desire.

What was stopping him? He would be back in two minutes. No harm; no foul.

L crammed his bare feet into his shoes and crept out into the corridor, making sure to remember to leave the door unlocked. He padded down the stairs. No one else was around. He wasn't surprised. It was past eleven o'clock on a Monday night. He slipped out into the night air. The sight of his white breath as he sighed reminded him how cold it was. He should have gotten his coat, but there was no point in heading back now. He was just going out into the street to see it from a different angle. Although, once he was there, L found himself staring up at the quaint buildings with an unexplainable want growing. Figuring that as long as he was back in time to call the chief, he could go for a little wander.

"Where do I intend to go?" L asked himself. "Why do I intend to go there?" There really was no explanation for it. He felt like doing it, so he did it.

He turned a corner, and a blur of pink and brown hammered into him. He felt something like metal slam into him, but it all happened to fast for him to be able to react. Next thing L knew, he was staring up at the overcast sky from the pavement.

"Oh, crap! Are you okay? Answer me! Damn it... I've killed him! I am so screwed!" L turned his head towards the voice. A girl who couldn't have been any older than him jumped with fright but then sighed with relief. "You scared me," she breathed.

"You're the one who flew into me out of nowhere," L pointed out. He pulled himself up into his usual, dreary slouch and brushed himself off.

The girl before him was rather skinny. She looked as if she might blow away if a strong wind were to come past. Her jeans were ripped in several places, and her hair was bright pink with her dark roots just starting to show through.

"I was under the impression that people generally don't skulk around at this time," the girl muttered rudely as she picked up her bike. "It's kinda suspicious."

"Does a bicycle make you less suspicious?" L returned cheekily. The girl either didn't hear or wasn't listening.

The ostentatious chime of Big Ben signalled midnight. The girl cursed under her breath. L did so silently. Had he really been out that long? He was supposed to call the chief of police nearly half an hour ago!

The look on L's face as he realised that he was in fact lost was noticed by the pink-haired girl. Her expression suddenly became soft. "You have no idea which way you came from," she giggled.

L looked around. He was an international investigator! Why the hell couldn't he remember his way home? "I fear I won't be able to figure it out before he discovers that I'm missing."

"Where do you live?" the girl asked.

L gazed back at her with his dull eyes. "I do not give my address to strangers," he said bluntly.

"My name's Amy. Now I'm not a stranger."

"If you're Amy," L thought, "who's the girl that crashed into me just now?" Amy's first impression had dramatically changed.

"What's your name?"

"Rei," L lied, using the false name he often did.

"I can help you get home," Amy beamed. "Where do you live?" L was still a little reluctant. He didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. "It's rude to stare," Amy snarled, suddenly sweeping back to the dark side for a moment.

L was caught off guard and told her where he lived. Amy lead the way, all smiles again. She abandoned her bike out front and followed L inside.

"I'm fine, thank you," said L. "I am perfectly capable of-"

"You walk kinda funny," Amy noted. "Actually, you just stand funny. Aren't you cold wearing that? You're not even wearing socks!"

Okay, this was just getting annoying. L had to get rid of this girl before she invited herself into his room. "I thank you for your help. You may leave now."

"It's okay," Amy piped. L honestly couldn't tell if she was trying to piss him off or if she was just ignorant.

L calmly climbed the stairs and opened the door to the room.

"You leave it unlocked? What if someone breaks in?"

"Why would someone break in if it was unlocked?" L queried innocently. Of all things for Amy to realise, she realised that L was teasing her.

Amy pushed past the boy, leaving him in the doorway with a rather stunned expression. She helped herself to a slice of cake from the fridge and sat on the bench.

"I don't recall inviting you in." Amy shot a challenging look at L without a word. L returned her stare, unwilling to lose. Amy eventually turned away but didn't say anything.

L sat down at his desk and stared at the phone. He had to make that call, but he couldn't with Amy in the room. Technically, she was intruding. He could use force to be rid of her if he had to.

L's pocket started vibrating as his cell phone rang. He reached in and answered it. "Hello?" he greeted dubiously.

"Here I was thinking you went to bed early," came Watari's voice. "Why didn't you call in?"

"I did fall asleep," L lied. "I'll call them as soon as I hang up."

"There is no need. I've dealt with the situation. You can go back to bed."

"Thank you." L hung up.

"You sit funny, too," Amy commented. L was crouched in his chair, hugging his knees. He looked over his shoulder at Amy. In comparison, he did sit funny.

"Please leave," L requested, his patience wearing thin.

"Do you live alone here?" Amy asked sweetly.

"You don't need to know that."

"Is it lonely? Don't you have family?"

"I can literally feel my rope coming to an end," L warned blankly. "Please go away."

"So, are you from Japan? I had a friend from Japan. She was the total opposite of you."

"Stupid?" L guessed.

"Friendly," Amy corrected, taking no offence whatsoever. "Hey, Rei, what's your favourite sport?"

"Tennis." L was starting to give up. Maybe she would leave once she finished her cake.

"Are you any good?"

"I believe so." He didn't mention that he had actually won awards for his skills in tennis.

"What's your favourite flavour of milkshake?"

"Strawberry."

"Mine's vanilla."

"It's just milk."

"No, they put ice-cream in!"

"Why are you asking me these questions?"

"To find out more about you." Amy half-tossed her plate into the sink and licked her fingers before hopping down from the bench. "I'm not gonna lie, Rei. You're an interesting guy." L had no idea how to respond. "Well, I'll be off then. It was nice to meet you." With that said, Amy disappeared as quickly as she had pummelled into L on her bike.

L blinked a few times as if what he had just seen would become clearer. This girl had managed to get quite a lot out of L, but all L knew about Amy was that she like vanilla milkshakes and may have had a split personality.

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><p>Watari returned to find L fast asleep on his bed. He was on top of the covers and still in his clothes, but at least he was sleeping. It was a rare sight to be seen. It was almost a shame that the poor boy was such a genius. He could have been a normal teenager if it hadn't been for the responsibilities of having such a brilliant mind. Then again, normal teenagers would be disobeying their authority and running off with girls left, right, and centre.<p>

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><p><strong>It's-a funny because he is! ...Kinda.<strong>

**The whole thing with him just wanting to walk down the street is something I got while walking home from work one day. I just decided to see where I would end up. I, however, didn't get lost.**


	2. Near Impossible

**I'm writing four novels and four online stories. I have a ton of really fat books that have to go back to the library, but I haven't finished reading them. Also, I'm hooked on seven animes, five manga series, and Pok'emon Black. I don't even want to talk about school! *sigh* I'm doomed to be thrown back and forth between stories and lives that don't even belong to me.**

**L will now be referred to as Rei.**

**James: Like hell he will!**

**Me: ...What does that even mean?**

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><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Near Impossible

"There's no need to be so worried about it."

Rei crouched in his armchair with his hands on his knees, staring outside through the crack in the curtain. His laptop was on the coffee table in front of him, but he hadn't actually done anything on it; it still displayed the desktop.

"No one would guess who you are," Watari assured. "You shouldn't stay cooped up in here all day every day."

"I don't mind," Rei muttered. Honestly, it wasn't the fact that L would be showing his face outside; that's the reason he used a false name. It wasn't even because he disliked crowds. He was still worried about the girl he encountered the night before. If he ran into her, Watari would know that he had snuck out. On top of that, he just didn't want to see her. She was annoying, nosy, and she stole his cake.

"I won't force you," Watari sighed, "but I may be gone a little while. I have a sweet tooth to satisfy."

Rei turned his dull stare to the smiling man at the door. "I was taught not to follow old men who offer me candy." Watari chuckled light-heartedly. "You do realise you're bribing a fifteen-year-old with sweets, right?"

"And yet it works."

Rei held the old man's gaze for a moment longer before reluctantly crawling out of his seat with a sigh. "You're a cocky, old git," he commented.

"And you're a cheeky, little smart-arse."

The relationship between the two may have seemed odd to anyone else, but Rei wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Watari was a work colleague, a friend, and a father. They could say things to each other they would never consider saying to other people. That may be why Rei was so uncomfortable lying to him. He was a terrific liar, no doubt about it, but he had never lied to Watari. Then again, he had never abandoned his responsibilities as L to wander the streets.

Upon arriving at the corner store, Rei's heart skipped beat. There, flicking through the magazines, was that same pink-haired, skinny girl from the night before. Logically speaking, the odds of them meeting here today were near impossible, yet here she was!

If she saw him, Amy would definitely speak with him. Rei didn't have a doubt in his mind about that. There was no way he could stay hidden, and he'd just look stupid standing behind Watari the whole time. He would have to talk to her, but he couldn't let Watari be present since she would more than likely say something about their first meeting. The only way would be for Rei to go up to her while Watari was buying what he needed. Then, he could just say that he needed to leave once he was done.

There was no helping it, but Rei didn't even know how to casually go up and talk to her. He couldn't just act all friendly. They had only met once, and she had left quite a negative impression on him. On the other hand, he shouldn't care what she thinks. He could always pretend to smack into her on a bike. Being a jerk like that would surely make her not want to talk to him at all, and he could just keep moving. That was it! Piss her off! It would get her attention, and then make her purposely ignore him. Perfect.

Rei sauntered over with his hands in his pockets and bumped her roughly in the shoulder as he passed. She stumbled to the side and shot a grouchy glare up at him; this glare was quickly exchanged for a look of surprise when she realised who it was.

"I was under the impression that people generally don't stand in the middle of everyone's path," Rei teased, using similar wording to what Amy had said last night. "It's kinda suspicious."

"Wow, you must've been replaying that moment in your head a lot," Amy giggled. "Couldn't stop thinking about me?" Damn. It backfired. She was too quick to adapt.

"Any excuse to return the favour you granted me," Rei returned without pausing.

"If I bother you so much, why are you going out of your way to get my attention?"

Damn it! Rei felt his cheeks start to burn. His stomach had already tied itself in a knot. Getting defensive would only make him look more pathetic. He had to steal Amy's position on the attack. "Why do you think?" he questioned, leaning closer to Amy's face than what would have been socially acceptable with his thumb wedged between his lips.

Amy was caught of guard and took a step back. "Su-something tells me you don't hate me as much as you let on," she cooed mockingly. She was standing her ground, but her words were already sounding uncertain, and she couldn't look Rei in the eye; she was visibly uncomfortable.

"Are you implying that I like you, Amy?" Amy bit her lip anxiously. Anyone could see that that's what she was implying. "I've only met you once. It's a little egocentric to be thinking like that, isn't it?"

"Yet here you are."

A small smirk crept across Rei's face. "Touche," he chortled. "You may think what you want about me so long as you pretend we never met."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

The two parted ways, their problem seeming to evaporate. That was it. L would never have to deal with Amy again.

...Theoretically.

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><p>Back to back, they ignored each other. Rei hugged his knees in awkward silence, not letting himself seem suspicious to the old man sitting across from him. Amy was at the table directly behind him in the tightly packed cafe. She was with a friend, but it was clear that she was aware of Rei's presence. She kept swinging her arm over the back of her chair and "accidentally" thumping him in the back with her elbow.<p>

The waitress brought a vanilla slice for Rei and a custard tart for Watari. Watari was talking about something, but Rei's thoughts were elsewhere. He soon found himself eavesdropping on Amy's conversation.

"Then I saw him with that same girl again just yesterday!" whined the short, brunette friend. "When I asked him what he was doing at that time, he said that he was just playing video games all day."

Watari excused himself to go to the bathroom.

"He wouldn't cheat on you," Amy comforted. "I'm sure it's nothing. She's probably just a friend or even a relative of his."

"Then why did he say that he was at home?" Rei interrogated without even turning around. He felt the tension suddenly rise as the air became heavier, weighing down on his already hunched shoulders.

"W-what do you mean?" asked the strange girl.

Rei pulled his feet up and turned around, peering over the back of his chair. "If she were merely a relative, he would have admitted to being with her. You only lie when you don't want the truth found out. He is definitely hiding something."

Amy glared at him. Rei didn't understand why. Amy's friend started getting teary-eyed and left the table. "Nice going!" Amy spat, giving Rei a good smack on the shoulder.

"What did I do?"

"You never tell a girl that her boyfriend is cheating on her!" Flames danced in the girl's eyes.

"But she would find out sooner or later. She should not be with someone so disrespectful. It's best that she knows so that she can talk to him about it. You're just postponing the inevitable."

"It's none of your business!" Amy turned her back to Rei and tried to block him out.

"How do you think what you were doing would be of any help?" Rei continued interrogating. "Simply telling her what she wants to hear won't fix the problem."

"I'm going to talk to him," said Amy. "I'm going to tell him that if he doesn't cut it out and treat Leslie right, I'll rip off his balls."

Rei didn't doubt that she would, but he doubted that it would work. "That's very lady-like of you," he said sarcastically. "He doesn't need you to tell him that it's wrong. It's obvious that he already knows since he felt the need to lie about it."

Amy grabbed her drink, stood up, and walked over to Rei. Rei turned back around to face her as she stood by the table, staring down on him. She poured her drink over his crotch and went back to her own seat.

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><p><strong>That last paragraph was written by James.<strong>

**...James also started imagining Near in Mission Impossible when he read the title of this chapter.**

**I thought it would look more English if Watari said "smart-arse" instead of ****"smart-ass." *shrug***

**The conversation in the cafe about the cheating boyfriend is actually something I overheard some friends of mine talking about. I was L in that situation, saying exactly that, and I got a similar reaction to what he got. After all, no one wants to hear the truth in that situation.**

**I now love Amy. She's awesome.**

**Amy: Yay! I'm the favourite!**

**Rei (L): She didn't say that.**

**Me: Yeah, I didn't say that.**

**Amy: Oh... I see how it is...**

**Near: Besides, I'm the favourite.**

**Me: NO, YOU'RE NOT! STOP INTERFERING! I'm not annoyed by you anymore, though. I'm back to liking you.**

**Rei: How? It's not like he's changed.**

**Me: It's just better when I don't have to write seriously for him.**

**Rei: So, are you going to get bored of me, too?**

**Me: Teenage L? Hell no!**


	3. The Myth of Love

**It has been soooooo long since I've written any fanfic. … That's it.**

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><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

The Myth of Love

It was inconceivable. There was no way he could've prepared for this. He knew that voice. The girl at the door was Amy. Why was she here? What was she saying to Watari?

"Rei?"

Rei slunk out from behind the corner and stared up at the old man innocently with his wide, dull eyes. "Yes?"

"This girl claims to know you." Watari's voice was calm and friendly, but there was something hidden behind that smile. Rei recognised his tone; it was the "I'm feigning ignorance while there are witnesses" tone.

It would be pointless to accuse Amy of lying. That would just be childish. She called him Rei. Watari knew that as L's false identity. She definitely knew him, but Watari hadn't been there when they met. That alone was enough to raise suspicion against a quiet teenager who rarely went out. He had to say something, though.

Amy beamed at him as if she didn't know how much trouble she was causing. Stupid girl.

Rei shuffled out into the hallway with her and shut the door behind himself.

"They broke up, you freaking dumb-arse!" she hissed through gritted teeth. Rei pulled back a little with shock. "She's falling apart, and it's all your fault!"

"Why are you angry at me?" he whispered in confusion. "He's the one who was cheating."

"Yeah, but she didn't know that!"

"Yet."

"Oh, for-" Rei pressed his finger to her lips to shut her up. Amy batted his hand away angrily. "Don't you-" Rei clapped his hand over her mouth and gave her a stern look. She looked frightened for a moment and stopped talking. Rei looked down at the light shining out from under the door, broken by Watari's shadow. He was listening. Rei grabbed Amy by the wrist and led her further down the hall.

"Why is it such a big deal?" Rei asked, finally comfortable enough to speak freely. "This way, she's better off. You're making a big fuss over nothing."

A spark flickered behind Amy's eyes. "Nothing?" she echoed. "My friend is balling her eyes out because you planted this seed of doubt in her head!"

"Shouldn't you be consoling her then?"

"I'm here to kick your sorry arse!"

"But my arse isn't sorry," Rei returned frankly. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about that boy who was cheating on her?"

"He'll get his at school," Amy assured. "Right now, I'm dealing with you!" She prodded Rei in the chest rather forcefully.

"What good will that do you?" Rei queried with his finger hanging on his bottom look as he turned his gaze of waning interest off to the middle distance. "Will shouting at me fix anything?" Amy clenched her fists. "Like I said, you're making mountains out of molehills."

He wasn't sure what it was at first, but, a couple of seconds later, as he hit the floorboards, he realised that he had just been punched by a girl. He cracked his neck and looked up at her to await an explanation.

"How would you know?" Amy barked. "Do you know anything about people? Don't realise that she's heartbroken, and, as her friend, it's hurting me?"

"Heartbroken?" Rei repeated, fighting back a snicker as he leaned up against the wall and tucked his knees up to his chest. "She couldn't have been a day over sixteen. Judging from her apparel, she's not poor. The heart on her bracelet read "Daddy's Girl," and she has a friend willing to go out and beat up anyone who hurts her." Amy's scowl started to slip away. "How could she know of heartbrake?"

Amy sighed and shook her head as if Rei were a bit slow. "I think she really loved him," she breathed. "If you hadn't butt in, I would've fixed it before anything like this happened."

"You can't fix the problem," said Rei. "It's already happened. All you can do is prevent it from happening again." For a moment, Amy almost seemed to agree. She ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath.

That is where Rei should have left it.

"That wasn't love," he said. "Such a childish girl couldn't know what love is yet, and any grown up wouldn't fall in love with someone who refused to love them equally." The spark flashed again, and Amy showed the murderous intent Rei was not completely unfamiliar with. "You're both being melodramatic."

Amy went to kick Rei across the face, but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her down to his level. She squealed with fright as he lunged forwards and hung over her, holding her down by the wrists to keep her from flailing.

A door on the other side of the hall swung open, and the two shot their attention up to the well-rounded man with bags under his eyes. "Shut the hell up!" he flared. "Get a room, you brats!" He slammed the door shut, and all was silent for a moment.

Amy did the only thing she could do in her position and headbutted Rei. He exclaimed in pain, and she attempted to roll him off of her to the side. Rei didn't let go and took her with him, sending them both toppling down the stairs. They separated at the bottom and groaned in agony. Amy ran her hands up the wall and slowly stood to her feet. Rei grabbed the stair railing and dragged himself up.

"I don't want to fight a girl," he grumbled.

"Good," Amy grunted as she rubbed her forehead. "This'll be easy then."

Amy sprung for Rei. He didn't know where she was aiming for, but it didn't matter. He swung his leg up much higher than she had expected he could and kicked her in the neck, knocking her over on the stairs. "You didn't let me finish," he said, coming to the end of his rope with the girl. "I don't want to fight a girl, but I will if it means I can get rid of you."

"You stupid bastard," Amy muttered as she weakly pulled herself up again.

"Please stay down," Rei implored. "I'm stronger than I look, and I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't care how strong you are. You made my friend cry!" Amy rammed head-first into Rei's stomach and tackled him to the ground. She wound back her arm to punch him in the face, but he quickly caught her fist to defend himself. There was blood dripping from her eyebrow, but her face was set hard and unmoving.

"You have some serious issues," Rei observed.

Amy made a quick, little move with her knee. That was all that was needed. Rei inhaled sharply and gagged. His hands automatically moved down to shield his crotch from any further torture, leaving his face wide open. Her fist collided with his face with more force than he was prepared for. She pulled back for another hit, but something caught her eye. She froze at the sight of the old man at the top of the stairs. Rei wasn't sure if he wanted to look, but he eventually followed her gaze. Watari didn't look mad—worse. He had the "I'm disappointed" look. Amy jumped up and bolted out the door. Rei managed to sit up and wipe the blood from under his nose.

"I was beaten up by a girl," he stated dryly.

Watari nodded. "That you were." He descended the stairs and helped Rei to his feet. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

Rei was perched miserably on the bench with an icepack between his legs as Watari gently wiped the blood from his face.

"In retrospect," he muttered, "it was probably unnecessary to provoke her." Watari just chuckled his response. "Stupid people just annoy me. She's one of those teenagers who believe in all that romance and love-at-first-sight garbage."

"You don't, Rei?"

Rei shuffled uncomfortably. He instinctively went to pull up his legs, but the pain in his groin stopped him. "I've only seen it happen once," he said, "and there's just no way it could happen to someone so inexperienced who doesn't even know what it looks like, let alone when they've found it."

"Was it worth getting emasculated for?" Watari asked sincerely. Rei didn't even want to dignify that with an answer.

"She may have won the battle, but I have no intention of letting her win the war."

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><p><strong>It's not even 7pm! Why am I so sleepy?<strong>


	4. Kouen

**Somebody's written seventy-three fanfic stories! Is that physically possible?**

**I read my old Black Cat story and noticed a couple of mistakes in the a/n. For one, I wrote uke instead of seme... Not something you should get mixed up.**

**I received five reviews (for different stories) last night! I'm so happy!**

**I got an idea. ... CRAP! I FORGOT WHAT IT WAS! Oh, wait. There it is. Hehe.**

**Amy: You realise our lives are in her hands, right?**

**Rei: Be afraid... very afraid...**

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><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Kouen

L was already deeply engrossed in another case. Another serial killer was on the loose not too far from where he was himself. Although, technically, it was still just a bunch of different murders. L was the only one who had figured out that it was the same guy. Before anyone even had time to consider the idea, his brain was already racing through a thousand possibilities at once.

The only light was radiating from the computer screen. Watari was probably sound asleep by this time. He went to bed long ago, leaving the task-oriented insomniac to do as he pleased. Rei was alone, thinking through possible patterns in the times of death; well, he was trying to.

For some reason, it was simply too hard to concentrate tonight. The great L was, after all, just a fifteen-year-old. Despite how his path had been paved for him, he was just a boy, and he occasionally felt the need to look at what lies on parallel tracks.

Amy lay awake on her bed. Every bone ached, and her forehead throbbed mercilessly. She knew she shouldn't have blamed him, but there was something about him that pissed her off. Maybe it was because she knew he was right.

She sat up with a sigh and eyed her bedroom door. Her mum was already in bed when she got home, but her older brother was still out. He'd come in to check on her when he got back, but Amy would surely be back home before him. She gave the T-shirt hanging on the foot of her bed a sniff and deemed it "still clean" with a careless shrug. She pulled it on and slipped out into the night.

A thick fog had set in, and Amy had to turn on her bike light. She did so just in time to see the stunned figure of Rei before she crashed into him. The bike toppled over, and both kids hit the pavement.

Amy decided to stay down. Her mind was too flooded with stress and fright to know what to do anyway, so she did nothing.

The mess of black hair hung over her, and it took a moment to distinguish Rei's features. "Are you alright?" he asked. Amy was tempted to smack him, but she managed to hold self-control long enough to realise that it would be a silly and pointless thing to do.

"I'm fine," she grumbled, pushing him away so she could sit up. "Twice in twenty-four hours. What are the odds?"

"Evidently, high enough," said Rei, squatting in an unusual fashion with his thumb wedged between his lips. His face was lightly bruised from their fight earlier, but it seemed even worse because of the bags under his eyes. He didn't look upset in the slightest. Come to think of it, he didn't even look mad when he was dealing hits. He always seemed so unemotional.

Perhaps she should've apologised. It wasn't really his fault. Nevertheless, Amy's pride was too strong to let logic get a word in edgewise. Instead, she brushed over it without mention and pretended to start again. She pasted a broad smile on her face as if they were best friends who hadn't seen each other in years. "Wanna go to the park with me?"

Rei was obviously sceptical, as anyone would be. Amy wanted to be nice, but her temper caused too many problems, and her ego prevented her from fixing it. Luckily, people tend to forget things of the past easily if you overwhelm them in the present. "Come on," she cooed. "I promise not to attack you again."

Rei stood up and stuck his hands in his pockets. Amy noticed that he was barefoot. "You're odd," he commented blandly. A small smile suddenly crept across his face. "Perhaps Amy is actually a pair of twins whom I only see one of at a time. That would explain your split-personality and why you appear so often."

"I don't have a split-personality," Amy giggled, awkwardly climbing to her feet and picking her bike up.

Rei seemed to contemplate something but then changed his mind. "It's dangerous for a girl to be out at this time of night." He began to walk away. Amy felt her heart sink a little. Why did she have to be such a weirdo? Not even that creepy introvert liked her.

"Nice to know your concerned about me," she piped as she pushed her bike after Rei. "I can take care of myself, though."

"It's not you I'm worried about," Rei assured. "I'm more worried about those poor creeps you're tempting into a life of crime. You're such an easy target. How could they resist?"

Amy felt something begin to crackle in the back of her mind. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried her best to ignore it. "Are you tempted, Rei?" she teased cheekily through gritted teeth.

Rei stopped in his tracks. Amy waited expectantly, but he just stood there, looking ahead. She shouldn't have said that. Crap! She knew that wasn't normal. This problem wouldn't have even existed if she knew how to talk to people. Rei looked back over his shoulder with wide, dark eyes. He smirked just enough to give Amy a chill. "And if I was?"

Amy opened her mouth to snap back with a retort, but nothing came out. She completely froze up. She could feel her cheeks grow hot as Rei humbly basked in the glow of the hit he delivered with an innocent look as if to ask, "Did I do something wrong?" Ass.

"I-I can take you," Amy finally managed to squeeze out. "I beat you once and I can beat you again!"

Rei chuckled coyly and continued on his way. Amy kept following him.

"What does she want?" Rei thought. "Is she trying to get on my nerves? If she dislikes me so much, why is she following me. Surely she has other people to go and bother." Rei stopped again. It was different when he was actually out, talking to someone. He wasn't the same as he was when he was in that dark room with his computer. No matter how hard he tried, it was impossible to make a clear psychological profile on Amy because he had actually met her—she was affecting him which, in turn, affected his thought process. He was so wrapped up in the pressure building up inside himself that he didn't even look beyond the actions like he normally would have done. He didn't like that. It wasn't like him; it wasn't like L.

He looked around curiously, unconsciously raising his index finger to his lips. "So, where's the park?" he muttered quietly, almost to himself. It took Amy a moment, but she eventually took the lead, refusing to dignify Rei with a response.

They made their way into the park. The trees shaded them from the moonlight, and they would hardly have been able to see had it not have been for the light on the front of Amy's bicycle. They reached a small playground where the moon had been given some space to shine. Rei instinctively seated himself on the swing set and began kicking back and forth. Amy just stood there.

"You're the one who suggested the park," Rei pointed out without breaking eye contact.

"Only because it's better than the street," Amy returned. "I didn't expect you to throw yourself into the kiddie's playground."

"Forgive me for being in touch with my inner child," Rei apologised, seemingly sincere.

When it became obvious that Rei wasn't going to do whatever it was that Amy had expected him to do, she sat down on the swing next to him. After time, Rei slowed down and they both swayed gently back and forth without even taking their feet of the ground.

"Your friend," Rei began, breaking the long silence, "you are very protective of her."

"Of course," Amy replied quietly. "That's what friends are for."

"So, she would stand up for you in that situation?" Amy remained silent. "If I were to make you cry, would she hunt me down and pound my face in like you did?"

"Probably not," Amy chuckled carelessly.

"But isn't that what friends are for?" Rei was starting to push the boundaries. "If she does not do that, what use is she to you?"

Amy shot him one of her bloodlust glares. Rei was already getting used to it. "It doesn't matter to me."

"Why not?"

"Just shut up, Rei."

The only sound was a slight breeze whispering among the trees for a brief moment.

"I'm sorry." Amy stared at her feet. She didn't want to meet those eyes because, this time, they truly seemed honest.

"So, that old guy... He couldn't have been your dad."

Rei shook his head. "He just looks after me." He could see that she was thinking the question. It was hard to predict whether she would ask it or not, but he decided to answer it anyway, just this once. "My parents are dead." Amy didn't seem surprised. "You?"

"My mum works two jobs to look after my brother and me, so she's hardly home. I don't know who my father is. When I ask about him, Mum pretends she doesn't hear me, and Justin says I don't need to know." Rei had suspected something like that.

A shadow moved through the trees. Amy didn't seem to notice, but Rei did. He feigned ignorance for the time being, but he kept his eyes peeled.

"You don't have many friends, do you," Rei guessed boldly, already planning his next three steps in advance.

Amy clashed her angry gaze against his composed one. "How dare you-"

"Didn't think so," Rei cut in calmly. He began to swing a little again. "Neither do I." Amy turned bright red and frowned at her shoes as if this was somehow their fault. "You're not bad," Rei commented. "Your first impression left something to be desired, as did your second and third, but your fourth one turned out okay."

Amy was still completely blind to the way Rei had steered the conversation. She had no idea that he was figuring out so much about her apart from what she had told him. With all he had, Rei could already predict how she could react to almost anything he might say to her. He had tried to get rid of her, but upon talking to her, he was given a way to play her like a violin if he so desired—_If_ he so desired.

Rei notice more movement. As an investigator, he was willing to practice patience, but he wasn't the only one in danger here. He couldn't do anything too risky.

Amy was growing uncomfortable with the intense stare she was receiving. Rei was looking in her direction, but he was actually paying attention to the shady figure. Of course, Amy didn't know that. "I-I think I'm gonna head home," she announced. "My brother will worry if he finds out that I'm out this late."

Rei nodded and watched her go. She peddled out of his sight on her bicycle with a bitter-sweet feeling.

She squealed with shock as she flipped over the handlebars and into the arms of a strange man. Before she had time to react, she was dragged off the path with a calloused hand covering her mouth. The man's grasp was too tight. Amy could barely breathe, let alone fight back.

* * *

><p><strong>James: What are you writing?<strong>

**Me: *shifty eyes***

**James: Am I going to be disappointed in you?**

**A little bit of Amy POV. Thought it had to be done.**

**James: It's bad enough from L's!**

**trainsgirl13 is back! Yay!**

**A salute to numb3r ei8ht (Luke) for being the first one to uncover my FanFic identity. (You can't see me, but I'm holding up a hand fan with a glint in my eye, similar to Urahara from Bleach.) Granted, it's not the most difficult feat. You can just Google "Karynne fanfic," and I'm the first one that comes up.**

**I JUST THOUGHT OF THE PERFECT ENDING! I apologise in advance to those who will suffer.**

**Riley: Why must everyone suffer?**

**Me: Shut up, Riles. You're in jail.**

**Riley: Let's have a vote. Who thinks Karynne should stop doing bad things to us to add drama and/or humour.**

**Kara: *raises hand***

**Hope: *raises hand***

**Near: *raises hand***

**Cou: *raises hand***

**James: *raises hand***

**Sonic: *raises hand***

**Me: What did I ever do to you?**

**Sonic: ...Seriously? You killed off ALL of my friends!**

**Me: I let you live.**

**Train: *raises hand***

**Me: Oh, stop your whining. You got a happy ending, right? The end justifies the means.**

**Lelouch: Exactly!**

**Me: How did you all get in here?**

**Ed: We're figments of your imagination. We never leave.**

**Konata: It's finally happened, Rin. You've gone completely bonkers!**

**Me: *shrug* I'm not surprised. It was bound to happen sooner or later.**


	5. Fateful

**Somebody told me that they like this story because it's not like those other ones with OCs where they fall in love way to quickly. This flattered me greatly because I hate those, too! I'm not normally a hopeless romantic, so this is actually a bit of a stretch for me.**

**Although, I don't remember mentioning Rei falling in love with Amy. For all you know, it could be Watari.**

**Rei: Please stop talking.**

**Yet there have been no comments as to how Amy was ABDUCTED! IS NO ONE CONCERNED FOR MY DAUGHTER?**

**Amy: Yeah! Wait, we're the same age.**

**Me: I never said we were a completely functional family.**

**I bought an L figurine. It's super cute! He sits there with his little thumb in his mouth, smirking at me while I write. It may be considered weird that I talk to him. Well, if he wasn't there, I'd just talk to myself, and even I know that's weird.**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Fateful

Amy awoke in a daze. Her head throbbed, and her lungs ached. She tried to stretch, but her wrists were bound together. That's when she remembered the situation she was in. That man had grabbed her and whacked her over the head.

There were voices coming from outside. Amy was in complete darkness and had no idea where she was. She tried to call out for help, but all that came out of her mouth was a muffled plea through the duct tape.

There was no helping it. She could feel the cold, metal floor against her skin in places that shouldn't have been exposed. Had they been doing things to her while she was unconscious? Would they leave her? Would they kill her? Tears began pouring from her eyes. She sobbed uncontrollably in fear, shaking from head to toe. She had practically been asking for it, wandering around at night by herself. Justin had warned her about this before, but all she learned from that was not to get caught by him. Stupid girl!

Would anyone miss her? Would anyone care?

The shouts outside came to a stop. There was an agonisingly long pause before a door opened. A faint light flickered behind the dark figure, but Amy still couldn't see his face. He emitted a very intimidating feeling, and there was something creepy about the way he stood—almost eerie. He stood in the doorway, watching the helpless girl crying and fidgeting on the floor for a moment before climbing into the back of the van with her.

Amy flailed about in an attempt to crawl away, mumbling incoherently like a frantic mental patient. A hand reached out and grabbed her by the rope coiled around her wrists. She squealed as she was suddenly yanked towards the stranger. She squeezed her eyes shut and balled like a baby, shaking her head wildly as if her opinion even mattered.

"Stop fidgeting," commanded the calm, velvet voice. Amy immediately froze. The only sound was her trembling breaths as her wrists were untied. As soon as the duct tape was off her mouth, Amy began wailing again. Rei untied her ankles and just squatted there, waiting for the girl to compose herself.

When she finally began to sniff quietly and wipe her eyes, Rei took her by the hand and led her outside. They were in a secluded alley. Amy's kidnapper lay on the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning. Amy shook like a leave and clung tightly to Rei's shirt.

"Y-you..."

"I went easy on you," Rei explained. "There's no way you could've taken him. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you walk off on your own in the first place."

Amy was too stunned to speak properly, so she scuffed along with Rei without saying anything.

"You damned brat!" Rei stopped at the sound of that gruff voice and sighed in disappointment, slouching his shoulders even more so than usual. He half-turned back to the man who had pulled himself up and drawn a gun. He looked determined, but he had to lean up against the van to stay standing. "Don't you dare walk away from me!"

The man had never killed anyone before. Rei was sure of that. Yes, he was a sexual predator, but everything is different in someone else's perspective. He was fine with that, but Rei could see the lack of bloodlust. He didn't suspect him of being the serial killer he was looking for; he was just a nuisance.

Rei approached the man nonchalantly. He sprinted the last few steps and threw a swift kick up into his opponents chin before he had time to react. He grabbed the gun as his victim dropped back to the ground. He dangled the weapon between his thumb and index finger as if it would infect him were he to touch it too much. "You are dirt," he said plainly as he inspected the gun. He tossed it aside. "You're just a waste of my time." He walked off, and Amy attached herself to him again.

Not two minutes later, Amy broke down and cried again. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed on the sidewalk, utterly traumatised. Rei just stared down at her, not really sure what to do. He scratched his head through his thick black hair and glanced around, half-hoping someone else was around to help him.

Amy wiped her eyes and took notice of her own appearance for the first time. Her shirt was unbuttoned from top to bottom. She turned bright red and covered herself up. She tried to do her buttons up, but her sweaty hands kept shaking and slipping. Rei squatted down and gently moved her hands out of the way. Amy gasped frightfully as he took full access and did her shirt up for her.

Rei gave a small smiled and wiped her tear-streaked cheek. "I got there before he did anything," he assured, "but that can't make it up to you."

"Thank you," Amy whimpered.

She shouldn't have been thanking him. He knew well in advance that this would happen, but he didn't do anything. He shouldn't have let it go this far just so he could investigate. He had been given the chance to stop something horrible _before_ it happened for once, but he didn't take it. He was as much to blame for Amy's tears as the man in the van.

"There's no need to cry anymore," said Rei. He held Amy's hand and walked her home.

"I was wrong," Amy confessed with her hand on the front door. "I thought you were just a selfish, arrogant smart-aleck, but you came to save me."

"I hardly had a choice," Rei shrugged. "If I had left you, I would've been as bad as him." He knew he was guilty anyway, but it was better that Amy thought well of him. She seemed to have enough hate in that scrawny body as it was.

Amy quietly opened the door and slipped inside. She poked her head back out and gave a wave with a smile.

This was it. Rei had gone and gotten himself into something stupid. He had seen a somewhat kindred spirit in Amy's lonely eyes, but he was L; there was no way this would benefit anyone. He had just had a lapse of judgement, letting sympathy take hold. That was all that had happened.

Then again, it's not like L was particularly busy at the moment. The case with the serial killer was just to kill time. There was nothing particularly interesting to take L's fancy. He and Watari had been lying low after the case in Chicago, but nothing seemed to be happening. They were in the clear, and they would be moving to Japan soon. Little did Rei know, the next few weeks would be far from boring.

* * *

><p><strong>Just thought of something. Hehe.<strong>

**Please review!**


	6. What Would You Give?

**I'm going away for two weeks, and I won't have any internet access. I figured I better write one last chapter for y'all before I go. Don't worry. Rei, Amy, and I will be back before you know it.**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

What Would You Give?

He didn't doubt her. Somehow, she knew. Rei was sure of that.

"I'm off to the institution now," Watari informed. "Those two new boys have already gotten into a spot of trouble, but they are still very promising."

"Give my best to Hope."

Watari nodded and went to leave. "Oh, Rei." Rei looked up curiously. "No guests."

Too bad, Watari. It wasn't really up to Rei in this situation.

Rei shuffled over to the fridge as soon as he was left alone. He took out the strawberry shortcake and set it on the bench. He sliced it up and went back to work without taking a piece.

L wouldn't normally have taken any interest in this serial killer. Maybe it was because he was leaving soon, and all the attacks were so nearby; it would be like a farewell to Winchester. On the other hand, maybe it had something to do with the familiar way the killings were done.

He was liable to drive himself mad with this case. He shouldn't have taken up something he related to so personally, but that's Rei for you. He hates to lose, even to himself.

There was a knock at the door. Before Rei had the time to respond, Amy entered and made herself at home, instantly jabbering on about something that happened to her on the way over. Rei calmly closed the window and opened a fake school assignment. That's what normal kids his age do, right? School and junk?

Amy helped herself to some cake and brought a slice over for Rei. "School during vacation?" she snickered. "Are you a nerd, Rei?"

"If being a nerd means I'm smart, then yes."

"I'll keep it a secret if you give me your strawberry."

Rei peeled the half a strawberry off his cake and placed it on Amy's plate before licking his fingers. "We can't have my reputation being ruined," he said sarcastically. Amy giggled.

This conversation was pleasant, but superficial and pointless. "You seem rather cheerful for someone who had a near-rape experience," Rei noted casually, seemingly unaware of how serious that was.

Amy beamed brightly. "It's a defence mechanism," she explained, "like a camouflage reflex." Rei honestly had the majority of the chance on her making something up; it had only been a forty percent possibility that she'd be so straight-forward. "I was terrified for my life! When you came in, I couldn't tell that it was you until you spoke. I just felt so relieved that it was you!"

Rei was completely dumbfounded at how optimistic she was being. It was an admirable quality. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Hell no!"

Cowardice, however...

"Being abducted is not something to be taken lightly," Rei pointed out. "You shouldn't bottle it up. At least tell your mother."

"I'm talking to you about it," Amy growled defensively, eyes on her cake.

Rei could tell that Amy didn't feel comfortable talking with her family. That's why he brought it up—to break the defence mechanism.

"May I ask you a personal question?" Rei inquired. Amy didn't object. "What would you give to know your father?"

To Amy, the question had come out of the blue, but it was directly related to what had been going through Rei's head lately.

"I don't know," Amy murmured. "Anything really, I guess."

"Your arms?"

"Sure."

"Your eyes?"

"I could still hear him."

"And you don't even know him," Rei chuckled dryly. "I loved my parents, but I don't think I'd be willing to part with anything of mine to have them back."

"Last night, you told me that I wasn't selfish," he said. "Thank you."

"You bastard!" Amy sniffed as she wiped her teary eyes. "Don't say things like that when it took me so long to stop crying!"

"Sorry."

It wasn't a trick. Rei was starting to feel guilty for many things. Despite her quirks, Amy was a good person. She seemed to try so hard to be nice, but Rei didn't even think twice about what he said; lying was always the first option.

"And stop apologising!" Rei jumped slightly. "No one's ever gone out of their way for me before. I always thought that I'd just have to deal with being the one holding the burden."

The way she stood up for her friend, knowing she wouldn't do the same for her... Her expectations of Rei being selfish... Amy was used to taking care of herself and anyone else she could. Her family were all talk, warning her about the world, but never being there to protect her.

_A kindred spirit..._

"Share the burden."

"What?"

Rei just stared with his dull eyes. "Share the burden with me."

Amy wasn't stupid—not as stupid as Rei had thought her to be. "Only if you share with me." Rei smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope: I was referred to! I didn't make an appearance, but I was referred to!<strong>

**Me: I may or may not bring you in later.**

**Hope: So, one could say that there is hope?**

**Me: AH! BAD PUN!**

**Sorry it was so short. It's kind of a lead-on for the next chapter, which will be AWESOME! I will spend the weekend writing it, and then the next two weeks perfecting it. IT WILL BE THE COMEBACK OF THE CENTURY!**

**Rei: You're just going on holidays.**

**Me: I've been looking forward to it.**


	7. Lost Love

**Okay, I tried. I really did! However, I ended up just doing this on the last day of my holiday.**

**I had a great time! We were on top of the flippin' world! (Not really. Just a mountain.) Dad wants to stay another week, but SOME of us have to go to work. We went on rainforest walks, I did tons of work on my books, and we were just up the road from a fudge shop. I think I've packed on a little "insulation." Hehe...**

**I got my mum hooked on The Gentlemen's Alliance Cross. She had to take my brother to hospital and kept sending me texts narrating everything that was happening in the story as she read it. (I had already read it, so she was just wasting her credit.) Apparently, she was wetting herself laughing in the middle of the hospital. Everyone was staring at her as she cracked up while reading a shojo manga. That's my mumsy.**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Loved and Lost

There was no mistaking it. It came from downstairs. Someone was in the house.

Rei sat up and shuffled as far away from his door as he could, tightly clutching the covers up under his chin. What if the robber came upstairs? What if he was a murderer? If he came into Rei's room... There was no way out. He had nowhere to hide and no form of protection. He had to make a run for it while the intruder was still downstairs.

He squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and counted to three. On three, he lightly dashed out into the hall and across to his parents' room. He jumped up on the bed and squished in between them.

"Rei," his mother gasped, probably from instinct alone. "What's wrong?"

"I heard something," he whimpered as he attached himself to her.

"What?" his father mumbled.

"There's someone downstairs!"

"No, there isn't," father assured, "but you can stay in here if it makes you feel better."

"What if he kills us?"

"He can't because he doesn't exist."

"Honey." One word from the missus, and father climbed out of bed. He grabbed his baseball bat and headed downstairs. Mother picked Rei up and followed, but she waited at the top of the stairs when her husband descended.

Rei's little heart was pounding like a bass drum. He felt his eyes starting to water. He knew someone was down there. He hoped that his father could handle him.

There was a loud crash, and Rei buried his face in the nook of his mother's neck. She hadn't actually expected anything to be down there, and she put Rei down to check it out for herself.

"Stay here," she ordered. Rei clung to her shirt defiantly in fear. She wiped away his tears with a smile. "Mummy will be right back. Be a good boy and stay here."

Rei was a sucker for her smile, and his slowly released her. She trotted down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. She let out an ear-splitting scream, and Rei froze.

He shook from head to toe, but he couldn't stay put. He bolted down after her, almost tripping. He flew around the corner and stopped dead at the sight before him.

His mother was shaking like a leaf with tears streaming down her face and her hands clapped over her mouth. She stared down at her husband on the tiles, blood seeping from his head wound. His blank, glassy eyes started directly at Rei. The man standing over him held the bloodied baseball bat in one gloved hand, and a knife in the other. He wore a balaclava, so Rei could only see his smiling, sadistic eyes. The sight of blood made Rei's stomach churn, and he threw up all over the floor.

His mother scooped him up and bolted for the front door. She yanked on the knob, but it wouldn't open. It had been sealed! What the hell?

The baseball bat hit mother in the back with incredible force, forcing her forwards to slam into the door. Rei squealed as he was squished against her chest before she dropped to her knees. The man hanging over her laughed dryly.

"Rei," mother wheezed, tears pouring from her eyes, "live!" she gave him a shove and spun around to grab her attacker by the ankles. Rei did as he was told as she held him off, but she couldn't do much for long. She was completely defenceless, and the man flew down on her, stabbing her in the back of the neck.

Rei was already up the stairs and in his parents bedroom again. He locked the door and grabbed the phone on the bedside table. There was no dial tone. The line had been cut.

There was a banging at the door as the murderer tried to break in. Rei panicked. It was over. He was going to die!

Wait! There was another way out of the room. He went into the walk-in wardrobe, climbed the shelves, and popped open the hatch to the attic. He climbed up into the darkness and covered his tracks.

How long could he hide up here? The killer would search the room and find the hatch soon enough. He had to find the way down to another room. Although, even if he did, how could he get out of the house? The murderer had sealed the door and lured his parents down to kill them! Who knows what kind of tricks a person like that could have up his sleeve?

"Stop crying!" he silently told himself. "Crying will get you nowhere!"

He scrambled along as quietly as he could, feeling for another hatch. He eventually found one and lifted it up. He recognised the faint lighting of his owl nightlight. It was his room. He slipped down and landed on the floor with a thud. His legs gave way underneath him and dropped him to the floor.

The intruder heard the sound and made his way over. He pushed open the door and looked in the child's room. The first thing he noticed was the lump in the sheets, like someone was hiding but trying to look as flat as possible. He chuckled and trudged over. "Thanks for giving me a little workout, brat." He struck the lump, but it didn't have the familiar feeling of flesh. He pulled off the covers. Pillows. Damn! Where was the kid?

Rei was climbing out the window at the end of the hallway. He cautiously scrambled across the roof and climbed into the tree reaching over from the yard next door. He cut himself against the branches as he clumsily made his way across in the dark. He made it into the neighbours' house and quickly roused them.

His story was almost indecipherable through his sobs and uneven breaths, but the police were quickly summoned. The killer didn't know Rei had already escaped and was still looking for him when the police arrived.

* * *

><p>Rei trembled like a wet puppy in the police station with a blanket wrapped around him, mumbling incoherently to himself.<p>

"A murderer that had you guys chasing your own tails was outsmarted by a small child," Watari observed. "Are you trying to convince me that he's special to save your own dignity?"

"Don't give me that," snarled Watari's brother. "The boy's got no family now, and someone's got to look after him. I'm not asking for anything permanent, but he needs someone to keep an eye on him, and you need to associate yourself with other human beings occasionally. You can't stay hidden away in that workshop of yours alone forever."

"Fine," Watari relented. "I'll talk to him."

He approached the boy and sat down next to him. "Hi," he greeted softly. Rei hummed his reply without making eye contact.

He was sitting rather oddly. He was squatting on the chair as if he had to be prepared to jump up at any moment, and his knees shielded his chest as if to protect his heart. He absent-mindedly clicked his thumbnail between his front teeth, and his wide, weary eyes stared out into the middle-distance.

"Are you okay?"

"He sealed all the entrances on the first floor," Rei thought aloud. "He was just a crazy serial killer with no grudges, so he must have just wanted to toy with his victims. If that's the case, why did he kill them so quickly? Maybe he intended to use the bodies." He finally looked up at Watari. "Is he a necrophiliac?"

There was no way to respond to that, so Watari brushed over it. He did wonder how a young boy like Rei even knew that word, though.

"Do you say it like that to try and forget that they were your family?" he asked. Rei drew a sharp breath. His eyes welled up, and his bottom lip trembled. "I won't say I understand, because I don't, and I won't tell you what to do now, because I have no idea. I will be here to listen, though, if you have something to get off your chest."

Rei broke down. His strong appearance shattered as he balled like a baby in front of the complete stranger. "It's not fair!" he wailed. "Things like this shouldn't happen!"

* * *

><p>"I'm so sorry," Amy breathed, hugging a pillow as she sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed.<p>

"Please," said Rei, "don't be."

"I had no idea!"

"That wasn't your fault. It was because I didn't tell you."

Amy frowned. "Can't you just accept my sympathy?"

Rei smiled. "Thanks," he chuckled.

There was a pause—a long pause. It was way longer than it should have been.

"He was a necrophiliac by the way," Rei eventually informed.

Amy snorted back a laugh. She knew she shouldn't laugh. There was nothing funny about it! It was awful and disgusting! "I-I'm sorry," she snickered quietly. Rei smirked cheekily. He said it like that on purpose to make her laugh.

"But it's like I said," he went on. "I'm terrible at giving things up."

"Is that why you never take anything?" Amy queried. "So you never lose them, do you keep yourself from growing attached to anything?"

"I lie to everyone," Rei confessed, "even myself."

"That's not healthy. It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

"You're right," Rei sighed. No one had ever understood him like this. It would be horrible having to say goodbye to Amy when he had to go back to Japan.

Amy looked down at her watch and cursed to herself. "I've got to go to work!" She jumped up and bolted for the door. Just before she closed the door, she poked her head back in. "Rei," she said, "if you ever have something to get off your chest, I'll be here to listen."

"I appreciate it," said Rei, formal as ever. Amy beamed at him and disappeared. Rei continued to stare at the door after she left.

Was it really better to have loved and lost? If he didn't know what it felt like, he'd have nothing to miss. It was a nice philosophy, but it didn't work for those who had truly lost their love.

Rei had tried, but there was no room in his heart for that feeling anymore. You have to take the good with the bad, and the good always reminded him of the bad to the point that he couldn't enjoy it anymore. He had no choice but to embrace this new path he had chosen.

He was doomed, there was no doubt about it, but he wasn't about to lose to the cowards of the world who thought they could bend it to their will. Those fools! They had no power and no right to do what they did. He would outsmart them all if its all he could do. Rei promised himself he would never sink to their low; he would never strip a person of their desire to love, no matter what. He would bring justice for those who had been wronged.

No matter what.

* * *

><p><strong>I wrote half the chapter as his parents were dying in a car accident, but I remembered that it was supposed to be a serial killer—one similar to the one he's chasing now. So, I had to rewrite the whole stupid thing. James laughed at me when I told him. What a supportive brother!<strong>

**I'm not sure how old Rei was when his parents died. Six maybe?**

**I think he was a bit of a mama's boy.**

**I almost gave his dad a chain with a cinder block on the end like in The Simpsons, but I thought a baseball bat was more appropriate.**

**I cosplayed as L once, but it was my first time at an anime festival, and I was kind of shy. In retrospect, maybe I looked kinda cute as a shy, helpless L?**

**I was listening to The Bear Necessities from The Jungle Book while I was writing this. It doesn't really fit, does it? Can you imagine singing that while being chased by a serial killer? On the other hand, I probably would just to calm myself.**

**Well, this took me all day. Yes, James. I'll come play Black Ops with you now.**


	8. Crap

**I was watching _The Illusionist_, and this inspector bloke was trying to explain the magician's tricks with logic. I began to wonder how L would react to a magician. Surely he could easily see through the tricks and expose them... but would he?**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Crap

The way the doors were bashed down caused the police to assume it was a break and enter sort of deal, but L saw otherwise. In each instance, the door had been broken from the hinges and tossed into the garden. If one were to put the door back into place, the damage to the wood would indicate that the door had been bashed down from the inside. It wasn't the victims trying to escape because all their corpses were found soaking in pools of their own blood inside. The attacker had trapped himself in the house before killing the family.

That was another thing; they were all families.

The phone lines had been cut. This still didn't answer the question as to how the killer managed to prevent his victims from using their cell phones. Things had changed a lot since L's first encounter with this strategy. With technology quickly advancing, so the primitive murderers had to as well.

Rei's phone vibrated across the table. He peered down at the screen. It wasn't a number he recognised. Who would be calling him? Only Watari knew that number. It was a safe line, but it was still unusual.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rei!"

Guess who it was. Go on... Guess!

Watari noticed Rei's eyes bulge just that little bit extra and his mouth fall open slightly. Rei noticed that Watari was looking.

"I think you have the wrong number," he lied.

"Na-ah. You left your phone on your desk when you went to the bathroom yesterday, so I used it to send myself a text so I could have your number."

Damn it, Amy!

"Why didn't you just ask for it?"

"Because you wouldn't have given it to me."

Well, that's true.

Watari was expressionlessly observing Rei. Rei tried to stay as deadpan as possible to hide the nature of the phone call. He was starting to feel rather uncomfortable.

"I'm bored," Amy grumbled. "You wanna do something?"

"I'm busy at the moment," Rei responded quietly.

A smirk crept across Watari's face. What was so amusing? What was he thinking?

"Doing what?"

_You're so nosy! Don't you realise I'm staying quiet for a reason?_

"Getting homework done early."

Amy whined childishly. "Next time, then."

Rei quickly hung up and went back to work, but his mind was already gone, and he had no idea where he was up to.

"Since you've requested that I don't help," Watari began, "I'll spend the remainder of our time in England at the institution."

Rei looked up in confusion. Yes, he had said that he wanted to do this case alone because of _that_, but that was no reason for Watari to leave him alone for weeks! He had done cases by himself before—easy! However, Watari had always been around. It was peculiar for him to be going off to the institution so often; they couldn't possibly need him there that much.

Watari beamed a somewhat cheeky smile. "I'm pretty much packed anyway. I may as well make the most of time." Within the hour, Rei was all alone.

"Liar," he breathed. "What are you up to, old man?"

Rei looked down at his phone, but he quickly shook his head. He had spent enough time mucking around these past few days, making no progress on the case. On the other hand, he had made no progress, he had nothing to lose. Besides, he couldn't stay focused, especially not when there was a better offer. He wouldn't get anything done now anyway.

Wait. He didn't even have Amy's number. Oh, well. Can't be helped. He chuckled lightly to himself for wasting energy even thinking about this.

Crap! If she sent a text to her phone from his phone, her number would be in the memory! Why did it have to be so easy?

Rei found the number and called it. The phone rang. It rang again. It rang a third time. Why wasn't she answering? Four times. Oh, well. Can't say he didn't try. Better luck next-

"You free now?"

"Uh, yes," Rei answered, slightly surprised that she did answer. What had he expected? That's what people do when their phones ring. "Yes, I'm completely available at the moment."

"So, the old man's left?"

Rei froze. How did she know Watari had been listening? Moreover, why was she being so pushy when she knew? "You manipulative-"

"Oh, stop it, you big baby," Amy chided. "You can act grouchy all you want, but you called me back. That means you do want to hang out with me."

Rei ran his free hand through his dark hair. What had he gotten himself into? This was not turning out to be a good day.

"W-what do you want to do?" Did he just... stutter?

"There's a fair nearby," Amy informed, "but my brother can't take me. Do you want to go with me?"

Rei had never gone to a fair before. All he knew was that it was noisy, crowded, and everything seemed to be made for masochists. Never in a million years would he feel comfortable in such a place.

"I see no reason why not."

Idiot! Did you just say that? What the hell is wrong with you?

"Great! I'll meet you at the bus stop."

A fair... A bloody fair... He wasn't leaving for weeks. It's not like this would be their last chance to do anything. He could've just said no.

What was wrong with him lately? He had tidied up his stuff when she came over. Even looking at people when they were talking to him was a rare thing, but Rei found himself _staring_ at her long after she stopped. He was stammering, he couldn't say what he was thinking, hell, he shared his cake! Now, he was going to a bloody fair?

The phone rang again. Rei yelped (another rare action) and toppled over to the floor in his chair. He quickly reached up to grab his cell phone and answered it. "Hello?"

"Do you know where the bus stop is, or are you going to get lost again?"

"Of course I know where it is!" No, he didn't.

"Okay. See you in a bit."

Rei collapsed back on the floor, covering his face with both hands. He groaned and rolled over onto his side. As he moved his hands, he caught a glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror in the hall. What a right mess he was! His usually pale face was burning red. His heart was pounding from fright. Or...

"You simpleton," he breathed. "Shouldn't the great L have more important things to deal with than this?"

* * *

><p><strong>Wow! There was nothing about a magician in there at all! HAHA! I MISLED YOU!<strong>

**Honestly, I had every intention of having them go to the fair this chapter, but it went on a little longer than I expected, and I thought this was a logical place to end it. I didn't mean for Rei to start being so awkward yet, but it just came out! Oh, well. That's what inspired this story in the first place.**

**I think he's beginning to realise it.**

_**Hands, what are you doing? Oh... That's brilliant! Now I don't have to worry about Watari anymore!**_

**Watari knows what's going on. He ain't stupid. I don't know how he left, though. I had no control over it!**


	9. The Illusionist

**Okay, NOW there's going to be a magician!**

**Sorry it took so long. I've been super-duper busy.**

**My cousin bought me a High School Musical activity book. You know. One of the little kiddie ones with really simple puzzles and stupid quizzes. (The lady at the checkout laughed at him, even though he vehemently told her that it wasn't for him.) He knew I wouldn't fill it out (because I hate HSM), so he answered all the questions for me. He made me out to be some kind of emo otako who wears black cloaks, goggles, and has katana and slaves in a salt mine. ...It's scary how well he knows me.**

**You think you can figure out _le twist_? WELL, YOU'RE WRONG! WRONG, I TELL YOU! BWAH HA HA HA HA HA!**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

The Illusionist

Wasn't she cold in that? Her skirt wasn't skimpy or anything, but it seemed just that little bit shorter than one would expect this time of year. It was also the first time Rei had seen Amy in a skirt... or boots... or with her hair up.

He still wore the same old thing as he always did—plain shirt and jeans. At least he was wearing shoes. He stood a little straighter than usual, but not enough for him to even notice himself, and his pale complexion was a little more colourful today. He looked like he had had a... moderate night's sleep, which was probably a good thing.

The pair were sitting on the bus in near silence. One of them would occasionally say something just for the sake of saying something, but there was really nothing to talk about. Amy stared out the window, off in her own world, and Rei was fighting with himself to stay calm in the crowded vehicle.

When they finally arrived, they hopped off and made their way into the fairgrounds. More people. Damn.

"What should we do first?" Amy asked.

Rei looked around. There was a ton to do, and he had never done any of it before. He shrugged. "What do you want to do?"

Amy glanced around, equally unsure. "Let's just have a little look around first."

The pair wandered through overlapping carnival music and shouting stall vendors. There were numerous rides, and Rei could've sworn they had passed the same cotton candy guy three times.

"Hey, look!" Rei followed the skinny girl's line of sight to a scruffy man with glasses on a low platform. Anyone could tell from his props what he was—a magician.

He performed a trick where he drew a bowling ball on a large sketchpad, closed the pad, then dropped an actual bowling ball from inside it... supposedly. Upon opening the sketchpad, the picture of the ball was gone. Rei knew the trick, but Amy was amazed and applauded with the rest of the gullible audience.

Rei almost explained the illusion to her.

"_My friend is balling her eyes out because you planted this seed of doubt in her head!"_

Ignorance is bliss. Amy preferred a world where not everything could be explained logically—a world with magic. That's when Rei got an idea.

"For my next trick, I'll need a volunteer."

Quite to Amy's surprise, Rei's hand shot up into the air.

"Yes, you, young man," bellowed the theatrical performer, "in the white." Rei shot a small smirk to Amy and headed up onto the low stage.

"Now, what would you say if I told you that you are richer than you think?"

"Prove it," Rei answered simply, already having figured out what trick this was.

The magician held out a tin can and told Rei to spit in it. Rei did, and there was a loud _clang_. The man reached in and pulled out a coin. If that was so damn impressing, the crowd was about to flip out.

The magician turned around to grab something out of his bag, and Rei held the can under his bottom. There was another _clang_. The magician jumped with shock, and Rei pulled out a coin. The audience laughed.

"Packing on the pounds?" Rei joked. "Pun intended."

There was a challenging look between the two. The magician smirked slightly.

* * *

><p><strong>And on the way home, Amy was run over by a car when she wasn't looking. ...Seriously. That's how it was going to end. You'd think she was going to get murdered by the serial killer, but then she would get hit by a car at the most random moment. Rei would be sad. Poor Rei.<strong>

**One more chapter to be added. "James' Alternate Ending" My brother requested it. He's going to write it.**


	10. James' Alternative Ending

**Okay. Here it is. The long anticipated (not really) final parody chapter. That's right. Parody of fanfic. Take it away, Jimmy. Wait. You haven't read it. You don't know what's going on.**

**James: Oh, I'll figure it out.**

* * *

><p><strong>James' Alternative Ending<strong>

The mystery was solved by the amazing, outstanding, meowing, whiskerful, tail-ific, delicious bass catching...What was I saying? Uhh... JIMILINI! With his sidekick... HIMSELF! Give a round of applause! Now, the amazing Jimilini will diveklatsofalanopy through a giant GOLDFISHINFLAGEN! His wonderful assistant, Himself, will now release, THE GOLDFISHINFLAGEN! The GOLDFISHINFLAGEN will now swallow Jimilini whole, whilst juggling Happeta!

Happeta: What? *gets carried onstage* NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOO! *gets eaten by GOLDFISHINFLAGEN*

Well... That was unexpected...Oh well! Turns out Riley's gay... The end!

Rin: But, that's my other fanfic.

James: Well, now he's in this, too... And gay!


	11. Discovery

**Yep... I'm back... I know I discontinued this story, but I suddenly got the urge to come back to it after all this time. It's been like eight months.**

**I honestly thought I was over fanfic, but I started reading through my old stuff, and I couldn't resist...**

**I realise that I kind of spoiled the ending two chapters ago, but I've changed it now.**

**Amy: Wait, you were really going to have me run over? Just like that?**

**Me: Not just like that. Honestly, your family was going to be attacked by the serial killer, Rei would save you, then you'd get in an argument about something, and, while you were yelling at him, you'd get splattered by a bus.**

**Amy: ...But you've changed it.**

**Me: Yes.**

**Rei: Knowing you, it's probably nothing to get our hopes up about.**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Discovery

Amy didn't know what to say. She just sat there and ate her snowcone with Rei. Despite the awkward silence, Rei seemed rather proud of himself.

"I didn't think you were going to start a magic trick war with the man," Amy mumbled.

"I wanted to see how he'd adapt."

"I also didn't think he would smack you over the head with his wand."

"That did feel uncalled for."

Amy cracked. She squeezed her eyes shut and burst into laughter. Rei grinned smugly. He had accomplished his goal.

"What should we do next?" Amy asked.

Rei wedged his thumb between his lips and looked around. What didn't involve too much of a crowd. "The ferris wheel?"

The day flew by, and before he knew it, Rei was dropping Amy off home.

"Hey, Rei," said Amy as he was about to leave. "Let's do something again tomorrow."

Rei wasn't prepared. He was still basking pleasantly in the day that had just gone. His chest tightened. "W-what do you want to do?" He stammered again!

Amy bit her lip thoughtfully and twirled her hair, a surprisingly cutesy move. Come to think of it, had she always looked that cute?

"You wanna catch a movie?"

Suddenly, Rei very much wanted to catch a movie. So it was that he had another day planned with Amy.

Rei went back to the apartment and caught himself in the full-length mirror again. "You're being a hypocrite, L," he said to himself. "You've only known her a few days. On top of that, you're going back to Japan!"

Great. Now he was talking to himself. How much crazier could he get? What next? Was he going to start reading shoujo manga?

Rei sat down at his computer and turned it on. He didn't do anything, though. He just stared at the desktop for a while. Before he knew it, Rei was investigating Amy. One thing led to another, and Rei's brain completely switched off. It wasn't until he came across something incredibly suspicious that his mind rebooted. He leaned in close to the screen as if that would confirm his theory. He went further and further into what ordinarily would be none of his business.

"Oh, no," he groaned.

It wasn't for certain, but there was a good chance that he was right. He almost wished that he hadn't found out—_almost_.

Rei quickly pulled out his phone and called Amy. "Did you forget something?" she giggled.

What was he doing? He was worried, but what could he do? He couldn't tell her what he had found out.

"I was... Uh..." Damn! What was wrong with him? Why didn't he think about this first? "My plans for the evening seem to have been... Uh..."

"Got nothing to do?"

He had plenty to do. There was just no way he could do it and worry about Amy at the same time. "Pretty much."

"You could have said something while you were still here."

"I didn't know then. I thought I was busy."

"Do you want to go see that movie now?"

Having Amy out in public was not a good idea, even if Rei was with her. "Why don't you just come over here and hang out."

"Okay. I'll be right over."

Having Amy wandering down the road by herself was definitely not a good idea at all. "I'll come pick you up."

Amy laughed. "Don't be silly. I'll be there in a minute."

"No, I'm, uh, already out. I can come by your place on my way home."

"Oh, okay then."

"I'll be right there."

"'Kay. Bye bye."

Rei hung up and dropped his phone on the desk. What the hell was he doing to himself? His stress was becoming less evident and more in his actions. He was freaking out over every little thing but paying no attention to his work. He ran his fingers through his hair and banged his head on the desk.

"I am L," he whined to himself. "This isn't what L should be like." A thought occurred to him. If he wasn't acting like L, was he L? If he wasn't L, what was he? He then realised exactly what he was. "Oh, hell no!"

* * *

><p><strong>My Aunty just used the phrase "awesome awesomeness." Surely there's a law against that.<strong>

**I'm going to Animania this weekend. If, by any chance, any Australians otaku are reading this and are going to the convention in Brisbane, come look for me! I'll be the one cosplaying as Edward Elric.**

**Ed: Don't give me a bad name.**

**Me: Everyone makes fun of my height anyway. The difference is that I don't actually have much of a temper.**

**Ed: DID YOU JUST CALL ME SHORT? I'LL SHOW YOU TO CALL ME LITTLE!**

**Me: Like that.**


	12. Truth or Dare

**It feels good to be back. It's a nice break from some of my heavier stuff.**

**There may be moments where you start to get a little nervous about where this is heading, but I promise you that I didn't write anything I would be ashamed to show my thirteen-year-old brother.**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Truth or Dare

Rei still wasn't entirely sure how he had ended up eating Chinese food with a pink-haired girl in his apartment, but it didn't really matter. He had managed to ease his panic for now.

"Truth or dare?" Amy asked over a mouthful of rice.

"What?"

"Truth or dare?" Amy sounded rather forceful.

"I'm not playing this game."

Amy threw herself off the bed and writhed around on the floor, squealing like a child. Rei was taken aback. He hadn't expected her to throw a tantrum. "Okay! Dare!"

Amy quickly regained her composure and climbed back up with a chuckle. "You are weak," she teased.

"Just come up with something."

Amy hummed pleasantly and scanned the room for some inspiration. "I dare you..." Rei waited for her to finish. "To..." Rei was tempted to throw himself on the ground and chuck a fit just to make her laugh. "Give me some of your chicken."

"That's not a dare!" Rei argued.

"Are you chicken?" Amy cooed. Rei rolled his eyes. He pulled himself out of his chair and plopped himself on the bed next to Amy. She snatched up a piece of his chicken with her chopsticks and popped it in her mouth.

"Truth or dare?"

Amy held up her finger to tell Rei to wait while she chewed her food. "Dare," she eventually answered.

"I dare you to give me some of your shrimp." Amy glared at him kiddingly and did as she was told.

"Truth or dare?"

"Dare." Rei had already decided to stay away from truths.

"I dare you to..." Amy thought hard for a moment. "What would get you in trouble?"

"Having a girl over without Watari here," Rei answered quickly with a chortle.

"You rebel, you," Amy laughed. "Okay. I dare you to put ice cubes down your shirt."

Rei shrugged. He got a tray of ice cubes from the freezer and poured them down his shirt. Amy quickly jumped up and wrapped her arms around him to keep the ice from dropping out. Rei jolted for more reasons than one and yelped at the ice against his chest. Amy laughed with satisfaction and released him.

"Truth or dare?" Rei shuddered.

"Mm... Truth."

Rei had never played this petty game before and didn't really know what to ask. Anything he wanted to know couldn't be asked so straight-forwardly, and pointless questions were, well, pointless. Nevertheless, he thought of the most pointless thing he could. "Do you have a boyfriend?" As soon as he asked it, he regretted it.

"Don't be silly," Amy tittered. "What boy would want to go out with me?"

"What boy wouldn't?" Rei returned against his better judgement. "Your cute, fun, and even a little smarter than you look."

Amy smiled at him. It wasn't until too late that Rei realised he was just staring at her. He quickly pulled himself away. "I'm going to say dare, so you needn't ask," he said awkwardly.

"I dare you..." Something in Amy's voice made Rei turn around. He locked eyes with her and somehow sensed what was coming. "I dare you to kiss me."

A part of Rei didn't even need to be dared. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. Amy gasped, and her chest rose to his. He could feel her heartbeat flutter against his own. He ran his hands through her hair and pulled her closer. The two started panting as they made out, their hands wandering off to other parts of their bodies.

When they parted, they caught each other's eyes. Amy glanced at the bed on which they were seated before looking back to Rei inquisitively. Rei's chest tightened. L, the great genius and investigator, had no idea what to do.

"I-I've never-"

"It's okay," Amy assured. She rose to her knees with her hands on Rei's chest. "Just move back."

Rei did as he was told and shuffled back onto the bed. Amy leaned forwards and forced him to lay down. She slowly brought her lips back to his, and he recaptured them with his hands on her waist.

He had known it was happening. This whole time, he had acted like he was better, but he was just as hopeless as all the other hormonal teenagers. The only sign that he wasn't completely beyond redemption was that he still had the little voice in the back of his head pointing this out to him. He still knew that this was a childish mistake that both of them would regret for one reason or another.

He grabbed Amy by the shoulders and pushed her away, lowering his head to avoid eye-contact. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

Amy paused before retreating. "It's okay," she said quietly. "It's my bad. Really. You just seemed really determined to have me come over, and-"

"No, I didn't mean it like that."

"I just thought..." Tears sprung to the girl's eyes. She quickly tried to wipe them away, but Rei had already seen. "I'm such an idiot!" she groaned.

"Please don't start making mountains out of molehills again," Rei pleaded. "I really don't understand you. If we were to keep going, you would accuse me of taking advantage of you."

Amy turned deep scarlet. "You think I'm too emotionally unstable to know what I want?" she deciphered. "Do you really think you can predict how I'm going to react to what you do?"

Well, honestly, Rei could for the most part. Right now, though, he was left to deal with things as they happened like a normal person.

Crap! She was still looking at him. He had to say something. What could he say that wouldn't be misinterpreted?

"I fear that whatever I say in this situation will be wrong." Evidently, that was the wrong thing to say.

Amy stormed off. "For a smart-arse, you sure have no idea how to talk to a girl." She slammed the door shut.

Rei moaned miserably. He had known from the beginning that he was getting himself into stupid, but he still went in willingly. Now he had two things to worry about. They both involved the same person, and they both involved going to stop her.

"Amy!" Rei called. He clambered off the bed and went out into the hall. "Amy, wait!" She was already gone. Rei cursed to himself and took off after her. She was on her bike, so there was little chance of him catching up with her if he didn't do it quickly. He didn't catch up to her at all despite running as fast as he could and ended up knocking on her front door.

A young man answered. "What do you want?"

Damn it! What was Amy's brother's name again? Justin!

"You must be Justin," Rei panted, attempting to come across as polite. "I need to talk to Amy. It's important."

"She's not home."

Rei felt his heart skip a beat. He had a horrible feeling. "What?"

"She went to a friend's house a few hours ago," Justin shrugged carelessly. He may not have been so careless if he had known that Rei was the friend.

"And she's not back yet?"

"Calm down, kid."

Rei ran off, now really starting to worry. Where could Amy have gone if she didn't go home? What possibilities did Rei know of? The Fair? The movies? The park! Rei pumped his legs as fast as they would carry him before stopping dead on the sidewalk.

"Where the hell is the park?"

* * *

><p><strong>I wonder what will happen next...<strong>

**Rei: Tell me you at least know vaguely where this is going.**

**Me: Hm? Oh, yeah! Sure, sure...**


	13. Happily Ever After

**So... I'm back after my weekend away, and I got quite a few favourites, alerts, and reviews. *blush* I don't mean to come across as a sour-puss, but people telling me that I'm a good writer doesn't really mean much since, well, there are several people considered "good writers," and I can't stand them! For this reason, I think the term is used too loosely. Please don't praise me so highly. I fear I'll let you down.**

**James: Stop being all w33py and get back to work. *smack***

**Me: Hai, otouto-tan.**

**James: AND NO JAPANESE!**

**Happeta: *smack***

**Me: Ongoing joke...**

* * *

><p><span>The Unsolvable Mystery<span>

Happily Ever After

Amy allowed herself to sob hysterically in dark solitude. She held the chains of the swing on which she sat so tightly that her knuckles turned white as she wailed like a small child.

How could she be so foolish as to think that Rei saw her that way? There was no way she could face him now after throwing herself at him like that! When she finally found a friend she could trust and who trusted her, she went and did something stupid.

"You idiot, Amy!" she hiccuped. "Why can't you just be a normal girl?"

There was a rustle in the bushes, and Amy completely froze up. She didn't even look to where it had come from. She just listened. When no more noise came, she dared to slowly turn towards the source. Nothing was there. "Probably just a cat," she told herself.

All of a sudden, footsteps came pounding towards her from another direction. Rei came flying down the path. He looked like he was going to crash into Amy, but he managed to grind to a halt and hold himself back. He leaned over with his hands on his knees, panting curses under his breath.

Amy's heart lurched into her throat. She quickly spun around and covered the tears streaming down her face. "Go away!" she cried. "Leave me alone!"

"I fear my feelings have been misinterpreted," Rei wheezed. "I admit that I was not prepared for the participation in certain activities, but-"

"What the hell?" Amy flared, revealing her fragile state. "Why don't you just speak English! Are you afraid I'll actually be able to understand you?"

There was silence. Neither spoke, and neither saw the need to. It was okay for them to just be together and think for a moment.

Rei swallowed the dry lump in his throat and did his best to consider his words before letting them leave his mouth. "I definitely care for you," he eventually confessed. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Amy took a deep breath to settle herself and wiped her eyes. "So, what do we do now?" she asked.

Rei bit his lip. Could he tell her the real reason he was concerned about her? Could he tell her that her emotional problem was nothing compared the issue of safety to which she was utterly oblivious? Would it help, or was there a better way?

"Come to Japan with me."

The silence returned. Where had that come from? He was even more hopeless than he thought! This was against all better judgement! What if really did fall in love with her?

On the other hand, would it be so bad? Was there a downside to L having someone like this to depend on and who could depend on him—someone he could actually protect?

"What?"

"I'm moving to Japan, and I want you to come with me."

Amy trembled like a leaf in a hurricane. Her eyes darted around in panic. "M-my family-"

"Will you miss them?"

He already knew the answer. "A little, but that's not the problem. I'm fifteen. Mum will never let me-"

"It's not up to her, and no one will ever be able to find us."

The look in Amy's eyes gave Rei a warm feeling. She believed him, and she was coming to a realisation. Meanwhile, Rei came to his own. Maybe he had already fallen in love with Amy.

For the years that came after, the girl called Amy was heard of no more. Her family didn't speak of her, and she became a non-existent entity. Then again, so was L. No one knew who L was, and no one knew of the woman who always stood in the shadows just over his shoulder. Even greater than his name, his past, his emotions, Amy was his best kept secret. Watari and Amy were by L's side until the very end. The difference was that Amy lived to mourn the man no one knew—L's true self.

The ending to the story you just read is a lie. Amy did not run away to Japan with Rei, the great L didn't have a woman whom he loved to love him, and that rustle in the bushes wasn't just a cat.

Amy completely froze up. She didn't even look to where it had come from. She just listened. When no more noise came, she dared to slowly turn towards the source. Nothing was there. "Probably just a cat," she told herself. As soon as she looked away, the sound came again.

"Rei?" Amy called timidly.

A man came stumbling out of the foliage. Amy's newfound fear of strangers told her that this wasn't a safe place to be right now. She pulled herself up and cautiously began shuffling away.

"I didn't mean to startle you," the man chuckled. "I'm a little lost. Do you know how I get out of here?" Amy pointed down the path without a word. "Ah. Thank you. Say, are you alright?" Amy nodded shakily. "You don't look alright." The man began his approach.

Something replayed in Amy's mind.

_The shouts outside came to a stop. There was an agonisingly long pause before a door opened. A faint light flickered behind the dark figure, but Amy still couldn't see his face. He emitted a very intimidating feeling, and there was something creepy about the way he stood—almost eerie. He stood in the doorway, watching the helpless girl crying and fidgeting on the floor for a moment before climbing into the back of the van with her._

_Amy flailed about in an attempt to crawl away, mumbling incoherently like a frantic mental patient. A hand reached out and grabbed her by the rope coiled around her wrists. She squealed as she was suddenly yanked towards the stranger. She squeezed her eyes shut and balled like a baby, shaking her head wildly as if her opinion even mattered._

"_Stop fidgeting," commanded the calm, velvet voice. Amy immediately froze. The only sound was her trembling breaths as her wrists were untied. As soon as the duct tape was off her mouth, Amy began wailing again. Rei untied her ankles and just squatted there, waiting for the girl to compose herself._

She couldn't handle this by herself. She knew she couldn't. She wished Rei would come, but she knew he wouldn't. She walked backwards until she tripped over the bottom of the slide and fell to her back.

The man chortled at her clumsiness, still coming closer. There was nowhere for Amy to run by now. He was too close.

"You look just like your mother," he sighed.

Rei wouldn't have normally worried so much about Amy's wandering around through the night, not because of the killer skulking around anyway. Her being at home with her family would have been more dangerous were she anyone else, but Amy was a special case—Amy was his daughter. It didn't matter if she was with her family or not because she was his family.

When Rei did manage to find the park, his suspicions were confirmed, but he felt no pride. He was too late. Unable to even look at the body for more than a second, he vomited across the ground. Even after all the death he had seen, he couldn't handle this. He refused to accept that he was unable to save the one person he wanted to save.

Justice is simply a tardy hero. It cannot come flying in to rescue anyone. It cannot do anything until the victim has already suffered. Justice is merely vengeance from a third party outside the crime. It is just, but it is not kind. It cannot save; it can only punish, and punish it would.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry... I was so close to writing a happy ending, but the little voice in the back of my head told me not to betray the story with my feelings. TT^TT<strong>

**When I went to write this chapter, I was surprised to find that I had already started it quite some time ago! (Thus my saying that I'm back from my weekend away weeks after having left.)**

**Bonus chapter being posted next.**


	14. Interview

Me: It's officially a tradition now. INTERVIEW TIME!

Rei: …

Me: How's it feel now that it's all over?

Rei: …

Me: Is L shunning me?

Rei: …

Amy: I'd like to say I learned something from this experience, but I'm dead.

Hope: Yeah, what's up with the emo endings?

Me: It's Death Note. Were you expecting Prince Charming to ride up on a white horse?

Near: It's pointless trying to talk to her, Hope.

Me: What are you two even doing here?

Near: It just wouldn't be right if I didn't make an appearance.

Rei: You were mentioned in the main story.

Me: L spoke!

Rei: Amy, would you please inform Karynne that I did not speak to her.

Amy: Somehow, I think she knows. It might be because she's sitting next to you.

Me: Oh, I forgot about Watari! He was supposed to come back in the end!

Rei: Would someone please tell Karynne-

Me: Oh, stop being a big baby!

Rei: Why are we even bothering with this? You're checking facebook after every sentence you write!

Me: I'm chatting with Josh. You wanna say hi?

Rei: I could not care less.

Me: _L, the world's greatest investigator, says hi._

Josh: _L?_

Me: _Yes. He's here with me._

Rei: He's going to think you're insane.

Me: He was bound to figure it out sooner or later.

Josh: _Aaahhh, I see?_

Me: _Excellent._ Sopl. I'm going to send him a link to this once it's up.

Rei: *leaves*

Me: I'm sorry, L! I'll be serious!

Josh: _Excellent indeed :P_

Me: _I'll send you a link to explain as soon as I can._

Amy: He's gone.

Me: Ah! I'm sorry! Come back!

Near: The end.

James: *shoots Near* The beginning...

Josh:_ :P kk_


End file.
